Chiffon Flower Crown

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the flower crown, start by creating a 4½-inch (11.4-cm) diameter hoop using 18-gauge wire. Make hooks at the ends of the wire. Link the hooks together and twist the wire around itself securely. Wrap the hoop with floral tape.

2. Cut the stems of the flowers to 1½ inches (3.8 cm) long. Wrap the stems with floral tape. Beginning with the largest flowers, attach the flowers to the hoop with 22-gauge floral wire or floral tape at twelve o’clock, three o’clock, six o’clock and nine o’clock positions on the hoop. Continue attaching flowers, filling in the bare spaces until the crown looks fluffy and full. You can make the flowers more secure by piercing a wire inside the stem and through the flower head. Create a hook and pull the hook back down into the flower.

3. You can make the crown up to 24 hours ahead. Store the floral crown in the refrigerator on a glass pie plate lined with damp paper towels.

4. Once your flower crown is made, preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line the bottom of an 8-inch (20.3-cm) tube pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the pan.

5. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until everything is well combined.

6. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, egg yolks, vegetable oil, lemon juice, ¼ cup (59 ml) of water, lemon zest and extracts until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and beat by hand or with an electric mixer on low speed, just until everything is combined.

7. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar with an electric mixer on medium speed just until the egg whites reach stiff peaks, being careful not to overbeat, for 5 to 8 minutes. With a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites just until no white streaks remain. Do not stir. Gently transfer the batter to the cake pan. Run a skewer gently through the batter to remove any air pockets. Do not tap the pan.

8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the cake springs back when you touch it lightly with your finger. Immediately invert the cake pan to cool upside down. If your cake pan doesn’t have feet, you can use a funnel or a thin-necked bottle to hold the cake pan in place. Let the cake cool completely.

9. Use a thin offset spatula to loosen the cake by sliding it between the cake and the pan and pressing it against the pan as you run it around the perimeter. Repeat the process for the center of the cake. Place the cake right side up on a cake board or a cake plate.

10. To make the icing, beat together the powdered sugar and butter together in a medium-sized bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the lemon juice a little at a time, as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Add a pinch of salt to taste. Mix in the food coloring a little at a time until your desired shade of pink is achieved. Drizzle or spoon the icing onto the cake, letting it drip down the sides. When the icing on the cake has set, place the parchment round on the top of the cake. Place the flower crown on the parchment round right before serving.

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